Spa Owner Takes a Holistic View to Business

Visits to day spas are down about 20% this year from last, according to the International SPA Association, but not so for Betty's Bath & Day Spa in Albuquerque, N.M. Elissa Breitbard, says her eight-year-old business saw its most dramatic growth in its first three years, and continues to enjoy increased sales over the last year, "even if barely."

Betty's Bath grossed $1.28 million last year.

Breitbard attributes her company's wellness to a large local clientele as opposed to the tourist trade on which many spas depend. "More people are staying at home," she says.

To help retain her clientele, she has not raised the prices for her standard one-hour facials and one-hour massages -- her "bread-and-butter" treatments. "We have a very loyal clientele we don't take for granted. We are always looking for feedback, and we haven't heard grumblings about our pricing."

Voice Your Vision

An important practice for a business owner, Breitbard says, is to often share and reinforce the vision of your company with your employees.

"I've learned that you have to constantly share your vision and how you want things done with your staff, so it's not a secret that only the owner has alone." To that end, Breitbard makes sure that her staff treats their customers in a manner that makes them feel at home and comfortable. "I let the staff know that we should be very unassuming and very welcoming and friendly."

That's why she named her company Betty's Bath. In addition to liking the alliteration of the two words, she believes the name Betty gives the place a familiar and friendly feel. "Everyone has an aunt or a mom or a friend named Betty." She adds, "It also means hip, sassy chick in surfer ski lingo, as in 'You're a betty.'"